The present invention relates generally to the field of laundering clothing and in particular to a new and useful product for diffusing anti-static and pleasant scents to clothes after washing while being dried in a dryer.
Many different types of delivery systems are known for providing a variety of conditioning compositions to clothes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,532,719, for example, discloses one embodiment of a clothes dryer fabric conditioning agent applicator having inner and outer containers. The inner container holds the conditioning agents in powder form and is porous to allow the powder through it. The outer container is also porous, and is disclosed as possibly being a sachet or bag. The outer container preferably has larger openings for the conditioning powder to flow more freely therethrough.
The applicator is placed loose in a dryer. The outer container prevents all of the powder from being released immediately or only into a small area. When operating, the motion of the dryer moves the applicator also, and causes the powder to move through both inner and outer containers.
The outer container is intended to be reusable and refillable with additional inner containers of conditioning powder, and it can be an open-weave material, although a form-retaining material, such as thermoplastic, is preferred.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,599 discloses that fabric conditioning agents may be compounded with other materials in solid forms such as pellets or tablets, or attached to a substrate. The pellets or tablets are not placed within a container, such as a sachet or mesh bag.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,482,632 teaches perfumed fabric conditioning compositions and indicates that the use of porous sachets containing fabric conditioning compositions are known for use in distributing the compositions within a clothes dryer.
A paper or cloth bag of fabric conditioner plugged with a solidified amount of conditioner which releases when heated to release the remaining conditioner in a clothes dryer is disclosed as a suitable applicator by U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,595. A specific anti-static fabric softening composition for use in a clothes dryer is included.
Several dispensing means for fabric conditioners are taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,237,155. A sponge filled with conditioning powder, a sachet sealed with the composition, an aerosol spray can and porous substrates are all disclosed as being for distributing fabric conditioners in a clothes dryer. Specific compositions of fabric conditioners are also disclosed.
A diffuser which uses spherical solids to carry a deodorant composition is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 4,346,840. A volatile deodorant composition is adsorbed by the solids, which are spherical in at least one embodiment. The solids are contained within a porous container, or which has at least one opening. The container may be sealed until use, at which time it is unsealed and the volatile product is allowed to escape from the container and solid carriers. Depending on the size of the solid carriers, the rate of evaporation of the volatile substance will vary.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a reusable laundry device for adding perfume to clothing and dissipating static electricity charge from clothing in a clothes dryer.
Accordingly, a plurality of pearls of a solid polymer composition carrying anti-static agents and perfume for treating clothing contained in a mesh bag are provided. The pearls are between 0.1xe2x80x3 and 1xe2x80x3 in diameter and may contain a whitening agent to provide a pearlescent appearance, additional coloring and a blowing agent. The mesh bag is selected so that the width of the mesh openings are smaller than the diameter of the smallest size pearls.
The polymer composition contains from 0-90% by weight polypropylene and 0-90W by weight of polyethylene. It is impregnated with 0.5-10% by weight of an anti-static agent, 0-25% by weight of perfume, and optionally, 0-10% by weight of whitening agent, 0-1% by weight coloring and 0-10% of a blowing agent.
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying descriptive matter in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.